Description
In 2004 UNSW Council decided to establish a UNSW research and teaching campus in Singapore. Known as UNSW Asia, this was to become Singapore's first comprehensive private university to open for business in 2007. (Council resolutions CL 04/47, 04/122, 05/14). The venture also had unanimous support from the Academic Board whose members saw it as an opportunity to attract quality staff and raise UNSW's academic standing. The university already had a long term relationship with the region and felt it was important to have an educational presence in Asia. It was expected that the university's profile would be greatly enhanced by being the first foreign university in Singapore. Singapore at the time was pursuing a long term plan to establish itself as a major educational hub in the region with its government investing substantial funds in education. As part of this plan the Singaporean government had approached several foreign universities gauging their interest in setting up a university in Singapore and subsequently invited UNSW to establish a campus there. Following its decision to establish a campus in Singapore the university signed an agreement with the Economic Development Board of Singapore for financial and other support for UNSW Asia over its initial years of operation. UNSW Asia was fully owned and operated by UNSW which set up UNSW Asia Limited as a company for the purposes of establishing and operating UNSW Asia. (CL05/14, 05/49). In October 2005 UNSW announced the appointment of Professor Greg Whittred, then Dean of the faculty of Commerce and Economics at UNSW, as the first President of UNSW Asia. Professor Whittred took up his position as inaugural President in November 2005. UNSW Asia was set up to be fee based with instruction in English. The university expected to make losses in the first few years of operations, but expected UNSW Asia to carry itself within ten years. The initial enrolment was expected to be around 300 students in first semester with about 500 students in second semester growing to 15,000 students within 15-20 years. Academic courses were to be based on three academic clusters: science, engineering, technology and health; commerce, humanities, media and design; and a graduate school. A permanent home for UNSW Asia was planned as a garden campus in South Changi with construction starting in 2006 and the campus to open in 2009. UNSW Asia commenced operations at Tanglin Campus, Kay Siang Road, Singapore, former home of the Republic Polytechnic. UNSW Asia opened its doors as planned with its first intake of undergraduate students commencing their courses in March 2007. Initial student enrolments only reached half the estimated numbers. Overall enrolment numbers for 2007 did not reach UNSW's expectations causing the university to revise its projections. As a result the university took the decision to close UNSW Asia at the end of first session on the 28th June 2007. This decision was announced to staff at UNSW Asia on 22 May and by media release and an email to all UNSW staff on 23 May 2007. Students enrolled at UNSW Asia in session one 2007 were offered a place in an equivalent program at UNSW Sydney from session two 2007, and scholarships to help with travel and accommodation costs. Students who transferred to UNSW Sydney received full credit for the studies they undertook at UNSW Asia, and retained credit for any advanced standing already granted. Tuition fees for these students were set at the publicised UNSW Asia rates. The three Singapore Universities - National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU) - and some Singapore private education providers extended their deadline for application for the academic year 2007 to 4 June 2007 for the affected students enrolled in or who had accepted offers from UNSW Asia. Emeritus Professor Mark Wainwright was Acting President of UNSW Asia during its wind down. Controlling Organisation: UNSW - 30/08/2004-28/06/2007 controlled entity
